Herbert H. Uhlig
Encyclopedia
Herbert H. Uhlig was an American physical chemist who studied corrosion
. He received his B.S. in chemistry from Brown University in 1929 and his Ph.D. in physical chemistry
in 1932 from MIT under John Kirkwood and Frederick Keyes(1885 - 1976). He worked briefly as a biochemist at the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research (now named The Rockefeller University) and then the Lever Brothers
Company before returning to MIT in 1936 as a research associate in the Corrosion Laboratory. This was interrupted by World War II, during which time he joined the staff of the Research Laboratory at the General Electric Company to study metal corrosion on aircraft and other military equipment. However, he returned to MIT in 1946 as an associate professor of metallurgy and director of the Corrosion Laboratory. Uhlig became a full professor in 1953 and retired in 1972. Afterwards, he became a visiting professor for institutions around the world, including some in Massachusetts, Australia, and the Netherlands.
of transition metals, pitting and stress corrosion, hydrogen embrittlement
, metal surface properties, corrosion fatigue, and corrosion-resistant alloys. In the area of passivity, Uhlig showed that the chemisorbed oxide layer is too thin to serve as an atomic diffusion barrier in electrochemical corrosion, which was the commonly held view at the time and, rather, functions to decrease the rate of the electron transfer
process (oxidation-reduction reaction). He also concluded that the minimum ratio of metals corresponding to passivity in binary alloys tends to be retained in higher-order ternary and quaternary systems. For pitting and stress corrosion, he confirmed the presence of critical potentials necessary to initiate corrosion. Uhlig served as editor of the still widely referenced "Corrosion Handbook," which was first published in 1948, and he authored the first edition of the textbook "Corrosion and Corrosion Control: An Introduction to Corrosion Science and Engineering" in 1963. Canadian metallurgical engineer R. Winston Revie was the editor for subsequent editions of each book.
Corrosion
Corrosion is the disintegration of an engineered material into its constituent atoms due to chemical reactions with its surroundings. In the most common use of the word, this means electrochemical oxidation of metals in reaction with an oxidant such as oxygen...
. He received his B.S. in chemistry from Brown University in 1929 and his Ph.D. in physical chemistry
Physical chemistry
Physical chemistry is the study of macroscopic, atomic, subatomic, and particulate phenomena in chemical systems in terms of physical laws and concepts...
in 1932 from MIT under John Kirkwood and Frederick Keyes(1885 - 1976). He worked briefly as a biochemist at the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research (now named The Rockefeller University) and then the Lever Brothers
Lever Brothers
Lever Brothers was a British manufacturer founded in 1885 by William Hesketh Lever and his brother, James Darcy Lever . The brothers had invested in and promoted a new soap making process invented by chemist William Hough Watson, it was a huge success...
Company before returning to MIT in 1936 as a research associate in the Corrosion Laboratory. This was interrupted by World War II, during which time he joined the staff of the Research Laboratory at the General Electric Company to study metal corrosion on aircraft and other military equipment. However, he returned to MIT in 1946 as an associate professor of metallurgy and director of the Corrosion Laboratory. Uhlig became a full professor in 1953 and retired in 1972. Afterwards, he became a visiting professor for institutions around the world, including some in Massachusetts, Australia, and the Netherlands.
Research
Uhlig's research interests were broad and included the study of passivationPassivation
Passivation is the process of making a material "passive", and thus less reactive with surrounding air, water, or other gases or liquids. The goal is to inhibit corrosion, whether for structural or cosmetic reasons. Passivation of metals is usually achieved by the deposition of a layer of oxide...
of transition metals, pitting and stress corrosion, hydrogen embrittlement
Hydrogen embrittlement
Hydrogen embrittlement is the process by which various metals, most importantly high-strength steel, become brittle and fracture following exposure to hydrogen...
, metal surface properties, corrosion fatigue, and corrosion-resistant alloys. In the area of passivity, Uhlig showed that the chemisorbed oxide layer is too thin to serve as an atomic diffusion barrier in electrochemical corrosion, which was the commonly held view at the time and, rather, functions to decrease the rate of the electron transfer
Electron transfer
Electron transfer is the process by which an electron moves from an atom or a chemical species to another atom or chemical species...
process (oxidation-reduction reaction). He also concluded that the minimum ratio of metals corresponding to passivity in binary alloys tends to be retained in higher-order ternary and quaternary systems. For pitting and stress corrosion, he confirmed the presence of critical potentials necessary to initiate corrosion. Uhlig served as editor of the still widely referenced "Corrosion Handbook," which was first published in 1948, and he authored the first edition of the textbook "Corrosion and Corrosion Control: An Introduction to Corrosion Science and Engineering" in 1963. Canadian metallurgical engineer R. Winston Revie was the editor for subsequent editions of each book.